Lorik Cana

Lorik Cana (IPA:) (born 27 July 1983) is an Albanians in Kosovon Association football, who plays for S.S. Lazio as a defensive midfielder and the Albania national football team. Lorik Cana is the captain (association football) for Albania at international level.

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Lorik Cana biography

Lorik Cana (IPA:) (born 27 July 1983) is an Albanians in Kosovon Association football, who plays for S.S. Lazio as a defensive midfielder and the Albania national football team. Lorik Cana is the captain (association football) for Albania at international level.

Club career

Paris Saint-Germain

Lorik Cana was invited to Arsenal F.C. at the age of 16 for trial, but failed to attend because Lorik Cana was denied a British visa. At Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Lorik Cana spent three years working through the ranks of the French club. Cana finally made the first team in 2003 and quickly became a main player. During the 2003–04 season, Lorik Cana played 32 games and scored one goal, as the team won the Coupe de France and finished second in the French Ligue 1, proving to be one of the most successful seasons of Lorik Cana career so far. This was repeated the next season when Lorik Cana also played 32 games for the Paris team and scored one goal. In Lorik Cana senior debut for Paris Saint-Germain, Lorik Cana was awarded man of the match.

Marseille

However, at the beginning of the 2005–06 season, there was a change of coach at Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and Cana fell out of favour. This prompted Lorik Cana to move to the south of France to join the most successful club in French history, Olympique de Marseille. Since joining Marseille, Lorik Cana cemented Lorik Cana place in the starting eleven, and scored the winning goal in the first match between Lorik Cana new club (Olympique de Marseille) and Lorik Cana former club (Paris Saint-Germain). Lorik Cana also became team Captain (association football) after the departure of the former captain Habib Beye to Newcastle United F.C. during the summer of 2007.

Sunderland

Cana joined Sunderland A.F.C. on a four-year contract for a fee of around £5 million on 24 July 2009. Lorik Cana was soon handed the team's captaincy by manager Steve Bruce, although Bruce later stated a captain had yet to be appointed. On 15 August, Cana made Lorik Cana league debut for Sunderland and contributed with an impressive performance in a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers F.C.. Lorik Cana was appointed as Sunderland's captain for the 2009-10 in English football season on 3 September. Lorik Cana became the first Albanian to play in the Premier League.

Galatasaray

Cana joined Galatasaray S.K. (football team) on 8 July 2010, for a fee of €5.5 million.

Lazio

On July 3, 2011, Cana signed for Italian Serie A club S.S. Lazio, becoming the club's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Miroslav Klose, Djibril Cissé, Senad Lulić and Abdoulay Konko. Lorik Cana was used in a part exchange for goalkeeper Fernando Muslera going to Galatasaray who also paid a fee of €6.0 million. Lorik Cana scored Lorik Cana first goal for Lazio on 10 December 2011 against Lecce, a 3-2 win, after coming on as a substitute for Giuseppe Biava. After sustaining many niggling injuries throughout the season, on 31 January 2012, Lazio confirmed that Cana would miss 6 weeks due to a back injury sustained in training.

International career

Cana was eligible to play for either Switzerland national football team, Albania national football team or France national football team, as Lorik Cana has all three passports. Cana has been involved with the Albania national football team since early 2003, after receiving a call-up from the Albanian Football Association. Lorik Cana accepted the invitation and made Lorik Cana international debut on 11 June, at the age of just 19. On 12 September 2007, Lorik Cana was penalty card by referee Mike Riley (referee) in the 87th minute of Albania's home game against the Netherlands national football team, after an altercation with Wesley Sneijder and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Lorik Cana team conceded a late goal to lose 0–1 shortly after the dismissal. As of 21 July 2010 Lorik Cana has made 53 appearances and scored 1 goal for Albania. Lorik Cana was one of the key players in Albania's formidable 1–0 home win against Belarus for the Uefa Euro 2012 Group Qualifications by hitting the crossbar in a 40 meters free kick and by being an undefeatable wall in defense.

Personal life

Lorik is the son of retired footballer Agim Cana. Lorik Cana father's career brought the family to Kosovo, but because of war in the region, Lorik and Lorik Cana family were forced to flee to Lausanne, where they stayed for nine years. Lorik Cana is a United Nations Organization-ambassador against poverty. In an interview Cana has stated that archeology is one of Lorik Cana biggest interests and that Lorik Cana plans to work in the Albanology field after Lorik Cana footballing career after pursuing a University degree in History.